Henry Hall Falkener
Henry Hall Falkener
Birth: 30 Nov 1859, Warrenton, Warren County, North Carolina, USA
Death: 7 Feb 1931 (aged 71)
Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA.
Margaret C. V. “Madge” Mitchell Faulkner
Birth: 1874, Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio, USA;
Death: 7 Feb 1938 (aged 63–64)
Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA.
Father: George W. Mitchell (birthplace: Alexandria, VA) 1845-1877
Mother: Almira Jones (birthplace: Oberlin, OH) 1851-1923
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Henry Hall Falkener, Republican, served as a Senator of North Carolina, 19th district, Littleton, Warren County in the session of 1889.
Falkener was also a principal at Percy Street School, the first graded school for African Americans in N.C., built in 1880, as well as one of four charter teachers at what is now NC A&T when it was founded in 1891.
Margaret Mitchell Falkener founded the music department at A&T, and was the first woman supervisor of Guilford County Schools for Negroes in the early 1900s. She also was a Red Cross organizer in the area.
Whoever is familiar with conditions in North Carolina knows that the educational life of the State has been practically reorganized in the last two or three decades.
This favorable change in educational affairs has been due to some faithful men of both races who have committed themselves to a progressive policy in matters of education, placed their lives upon the altar and regardless of the demands which that policy has made upon them, have devoted themselves to the work of training the youth of the State.
Among the colored teachers who found a place among this loyal number of leaders is Prof. Henry Hall Falkner now (1919) principal of the Logan Colored Graded and Industrial School at Concord.
Professor Falkener is a native of Warren Co. His parents were Buckner and Elizabeth (Boyd) Falkener.
Prof. Falkner was married on October 7, 1891, to Miss Margaret C. Mitchell, a daughter of George W. and Almira (Jones) Mitchell.
They have five children, Ralph C. S., George H., Herschel H., Waldo C. and John Q. Falkner.
When of school age, young Falkener went to the local public schools of Warren Co. and to the Peabody School. “For his college work he attended Shaw University, graduating from that institution in 1886 with the A. M. degree.
He began teaching as early as 1877 in the schools of Warren Co., and frankly confesses that he learned more by teaching than in any other way. He was a close observer and was glad to profit by the experience and leadership of the devoted people about him.
It was necessary for him to make his own way in college, where, by his attention to his work and steady progress, he attracted the notice of his professors so that he was appointed a student-teacher, which was of great assistance to him financially. Since youth Prof. Falkener has been in the school room in some capacity or other.
He served as principal of the State Normal School for two years and was for five years a professor of English at what is now known as the A. & T. College, Greensboro. For more than 20 years he has been principal of graded schools in various parts of the country and is recognized as one of the educational leaders of his race. Looking back over his life, he regards his association with the best people as the greatest factor in shaping his career.
Apart from his professional work, his favorite reading consists of history, biography, current magazines and the Bible. In politics he is classed as an independent now but at one time represented his senatorial district in the State senate.
He was also postmaster at Macon, N. C. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church and is identified with the Masons.
Speaking of racial conditions and how the best interests of the race may be promoted, he says: "By becoming educated along industrial as well as professional lines, economizing and living simple, plain and frugal lives, each one mastering as nearly as possible some art and living within his means, abstaining wholly from the use of alcoholic liquor and tobacco, obeying the civil laws of the State and early uniting with some Protestant church. The laws of the State should give equal justice to my race and provide them with every advantage that is given to any other race."
*Biography taken from “History of the American Negro and his Institutions” by A. B. Cardwell 1919.
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Left image description: Photograph of Senator Henry Hall Falkener and family, ca. 1906. Senator Falkener is seated on the left with his wife, Margaret Mitchell Falkener, seated on the right. From left to right, three of their sons, Hershel, (1900-1992)
Ralph 1893 - 1955, and George " Harold" Falkener 1898 - 1984, are standing behind their parents. One son, Waldo C. Falkener, Sr. (1903-1992) is seated on a chair arm between the adults and the baby, John " Quentin" Falkener 1906 - 1971, is held by his mother.
Right image: Falkener family years later, year unknown.
Left image source: National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Right image source: Photograph located in History of the American Negro and his institutions� by A. B. Cardwell, 1921.